The Greens are today announcing a commitment to bring the voice of the people into politics through trials of Citizens Juries and participatory budgeting, and requiring a parliamentary debate on petitions which receive over 100,000 signatures.

Australian Greens Leader and Foreign Affairs spokesperson Dr Richard Di Natale has called upon the Australian Government to swiftly intervene to ensure that Julian Assange is not extradited to the United States.

“This arrest is a dark day for press freedom around the world,” Di Natale said.

“Regardless of what you think about Assange as an individual, he is facing extradition to the US on charges relating to his work to shine light on potential war crimes – an act that won him Australia’s highest honour for journalism.

Australian Greens Leader and Foreign Affairs spokesperson Dr Richard Di Natale has called upon the Australian Government to swiftly intervene to ensure that Julian Assange is not extradited to the United States.

“This arrest is a dark day for press freedom around the world,” Di Natale said.

“Regardless of what you think about Assange as an individual, he is facing extradition to the US on charges relating to his work to shine light on potential war crimes – an act that won him Australia’s highest honour for journalism.

Australian Greens Leader Senator Richard Di Natale has welcomed the official start of the election campaign, declaring that the party has never been better equipped to offer a progressive alternative to the old parties.

“We’re ready. On May 18, we’ll give the Australian people a genuine alternative to the old parties, one that offers a positive plan for Australia that will create a better future for all of us,” Sen. Di Natale said.

Just a few weeks ago, I was out at Menindee to see firsthand the Murray-Darling Basin in ecosystem collapse. The Darling River, the Barka, is dying. The Murray-Darling Basin Plan isn't working and the government tells us: 'Everything is fine. Nothing to see here.' I saw stagnant rivers, cracked, dry earth and locals red hot with anger at the federal government and the New South Wales Liberal-National government for their role in the slow death of the Murray-Darling Basin.

Reforming political donations, ending corruption, and giving people a say in how Australian government works.

The Greens are committed to reforms that give people a greater say in how Australian government works. We want proportional representation in all parliaments so that voters’ diversity is better represented. The Greens are campaigning to strengthen the democratic values of our voting system, with the Senate voting reforms a key step that returned preferences back to the voter.

We are working to reform political donations and have Bills in parliament that will reduce the influence of the big end of town. We are also working to strengthen the federal lobbyist code of conduct so we know which industries are trying to influence our politicians. The Greens are committed to separating business interests from politics by introducing a national anti-corruption watchdog. We will continue to work to ensure that those who are marginalised and with little power have their voice heard and can genuinely participate in the political process.